With
Portsmouth losing earlier in the day on Saturday, Riga had a golden opportunity to
recapture second place in National League Division One ahead of next week’s clash
with top-of-the-table Malory. However, in an epic high quality five-setter, visitors
Aquila managed to shade them out of a match they should have won. "We’re all
gutted," said Riga skipper Tom Young after the match at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure
Centre, Warwick. "We had our chances and blew them away." |
| Anticipation was high both on
and off court as the match got under way. With Riga breaking a couple of points clear in
the first set and maintaining that advantage through John Gilling and Kees de Hoogh, that
feeling was becoming justified. Aquila on the other hand showed resilience and the home
side were forced to fight for every point. When two more Gilling finishes edged Riga 20
– 16 up, victory seemed assured but still Aquila refused to lie down. With Riga now
24 – 23 ahead, a dubious refereeing decision against Phil Wyles pulled Aquila level.
The resulting controversy saw an incensed Young yellow-carded and Aquila were now ahead.
The reverse stung Riga into action and through Gilling, de Hoogh and Colin Paterson,
justice prevailed 27 – 25. |
Coach Boughton rallies his troops
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| The second set found Aquila in
the early driving seat, as the close of set one seemed to be distracting the home side
from their task. However a series of gifted points soon had the scores back to parity.
When an inspired piece of thinking from Wyles took Riga 18 – 15 ahead, a second set
appeared headed for the Riga back pocket. Then mistakes during the crucial closing phase
of the set pinned the home side to the wall of defeat. Despite the best efforts of de
Hoogh, Aquila prevailed 25 – 23. |
 Kees takes a well deserved break
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When Riga eased into a 17
– 12 lead in the third set, a repeat of the tense closures of the previous sets
looked unlikely but then it’s not every day Aquila are the opponents. Slowly they
reduced the deficit and when Riga errors enabled them to draw level, the dogfight was back
on. Fortunately, thanks to Young and Gilling allied with Aquila mistakes, it was the
visitors who were left to rue missed opportunities at 25 – 22. The fourth set became Riga’s nemesis. As fortunes swung with
stomach-churning regularity, both sides had the set won. With Riga at set and match point,
a tense but justifiable victory was theirs for the taking. But as Aquila showed no fear,
it was they who snatched success with a 26 – 24 close out |
| So for the second time in
successive home matches, the game went into a sudden death fifth set. Aquila soon claimed
a two-point advantage and although de Hoogh, Gilling and Wyles pegged that back, the
visitors quickly re-established their dominance. It was now Riga’s turn to dig deep
and thanks to Aquila errors, they claimed set point first. But still Aquila refused to
capitulate and as they grew stronger, Riga wilted. The end at 17 – 15, left Riga as
deflated as Aquila were elated. |
| "That match should never
have gone past the fourth set," said Young afterwards. "We got to a point where
we wanted Aquila to give us the points, rather than us taking them. It’s going to be
hard but we’ve got to pick ourselves up for Saturday and get something out of
it." And it will not come much harder than visiting
current leaders and reigning Champions Malory. Having been beaten three-nil in their first
match of the season, Riga recognise the toughness of Saturday’s task. Recent back to
back defeats hardly make the task easier but if the side are to survive and thrive at the
top end of the table, it is matches like this which sifts the men from the boys. |
A dejected Riga team congratulate the visitors at the final
whistle
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